A sweet little dog was saved in the nick of time thanks to a police officer on duty just days before Christmas in Gardena, California.
When Gardena Sgt. Nick Beerling got a call about a whimpering noise coming from a trashcan outside a church, he and other first responders found something they did not expect, WJAC reported Thursday.
Animal control officers at the scene called police because the can was locked, and firefighters were later called to break it open.
Beerling recalled, “Once we had access to the inside of the trash can we saw Norm, the little dog, terrier type dog sitting on top of the trash, kind of whimpering and shaking, looking for help. And then we looked into it a little bit further and found out it was like a self-compacting type trash that eventually would have, unfortunately might have crushed him.”
The pup was taken to the spcaLA South Bay Adoption Center where he was given medical care and food, according to KTLA. The outlet noted there were security cameras outside the church but officials did not release the footage.
Beerling later decided to return to the shelter on Christmas Eve with his family, who were eager to meet the little dog. The family adopted him and renamed him Norm.
Norm appeared to be extremely happy after his rescue, bouncing around and playing with someone at the shelter, per WJAC video:
The police officer’s wife said their family has been wanting another pet to love.
“The girls and I have been trying to convince him to get another pet for a while, and he hasn’t wanted to commit but this little guy just tugged on his heart,” she stated.
Social media users shared their thoughts on the rescue, one person writing, “Another reason to appreciate law enforcement. Good people showing great compassion.”
“Angels saving an angel. Great story. Thank you,” someone else commented.
